Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and South African President Thabo Mbeki today witnessed the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent between the Government of Canada and the Government of South Africa that will further strengthen bilateral cooperation and expand dialogue on key bilateral and multilateral issues. Canada and South Africa have also announced their intention to begin discussions on a bilateral air transport agreement.

"The Declaration signed today clearly demonstrates that relations between Canada and South Africa have developed into a strong partnership that encompasses broadly shared values and vision for the future," said the Prime Minister. "It provides a new and focused framework for engagement across a broad range of fields including governance, sustainable development, economic growth and cultural and community ties."

The announcement was made following a meeting between the Canadian Prime Minister and the South African President, on the occasion of President Mbeki’s first State visit to Canada.

Highlights of the Joint Declaration of Intent include:

Upgrading diplomatic representation in Toronto and Cape Town;

Initiating annual consultations on foreign policy and development issues;

Renewing and expanding dialogue on global issues within multilateral fora;

Co-operating closely in support of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD);

Working collaboratively to build capacity in key sectors of governance, including rural development and HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases;

Strengthening partnership on environmental issues, particularly with respect to climate change, sustainable development and desertification;

Working cooperatively in the information and communications technologies sector and the science and technology field;

Accelerating the implementation of a Declaration of Intent on Technical Co-operation in the area of transportation;

Developing a framework for cultural cooperation and promoting cultural diversity multilaterally;

Supporting South Africa’s efforts to strengthen its health system; and,

Working together to help South Africa’s schools, particularly in rural areas, provide computer education and maintain necessary infrastructure.

The full text of the Joint Declaration of Intent on Strengthened Co-operation by Canada and the Republic of South Africa is attached.

Recognizing the long history and rich tapestry of our bilateral relationship, the Governments of Canada and South Africa declare our intent to further strengthen cooperation and dialogue. The friendship between our countries is based on broadly shared values, growing trade and investment, tourism and cultural exchanges and increasing government collaboration, both bilaterally and in international fora. This joint declaration provides a new framework for our relationship as principal partners.

South Africa and Canada intend, through South Africa’s National Treasury and through CIDA, to further develop their collaboration through capacity building in the key sectors of governance, particularly rural development, and HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, in the context of the revised and updated Country Program Strategy for South Africa being launched by the Canadian International Development Agency.

South Africa and Canada intend to work closely together on human rights issues in line with the aims of the African Union.

Canada and South Africa confirm their commitment to strengthening their partnership on environmental issues especially with respect to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

Both governments recognize the need to enhance co-operation on climate change, through policy dialogue, co-operation on capacity building, by seeking expansion of Clean Development Mechanism projects in support of sustainable development in South Africa and by helping South Africa to address its problem of desertification.

Canada intends to establish in Cape Town the first regional node of the ENABLIS initiative, which provides African entrepreneurs in the information and communications technology sector with seed funding and mentoring. Cape Town was selected in recognition of the high potential of entrepreneurs in southern Africa in general and South Africa in particular.

South Africa and Canada intend to ensure that the benefits of information and communications technologies (ICTs) foster social and economic development throughout Africa. For instance, Connectivity Africa, established by Canada and launched in South Africa in April 2003, will work in partnership with the Economic Commission for Africa to improve access to ICTs by applying Canadian expertise in fields related to education, health, and community development.

Canada and South Africa intend to increase their co-operation in the science and technology field. As a first step, South Africa has agreed to bring a delegation to Canada to discuss potential areas for collaboration in the private, academic and public sectors.

Canada and South Africa intend to continue to work together to ensure that South Africa’s schools, particularly in rural areas, can provide computer education and maintain necessary infrastructure. Through enhanced support from IDRC, African researchers and institutions will study the advantages and pitfalls of using refurbished computers and certain network designs in school networking and establish new e-readiness baselines for schools.